I went to Rievaux Abbey and found that very interesting and amazed by the size of it in its day like yourself im quite happy to visit castle's and abbey's its a good day out.
It’s such a shame that Henry VIII and his son Edward VI destroyed such a huge number of churches and convents/monasteries. The churches had an enormous amount of beautiful architectural details and art (frescoes, paintings, carving and stone work. Even the tiniest churches were often places that displayed breathtaking craftsmanship. What a shame!
I agree. It's fascinating when you visit medieval churches where the original wall paintings have been uncovered, and realise even these would have looked magnificent. Thanks so much for watching!
Thanks so much for watching! That's a great question. I don't have a definitive answer and I suspect the situation changed a lot over time. The monks relied on peasants to farm their land, and in some cases charged rent for the privilege. They would have been prone to poor harvests the same as if they were farming outside of the monastic environment, however the peasants would have benefited from agricultural improvements, education, and community support.
